A warehouse management system is the one piece of software a third-party logistics company cannot work around. It decides how fast orders leave, how accurate stock is and whether client invoices add up. Here are the seven questions we hear too rarely in evaluations, and what a good answer looks like.
1. Which of my clients' channels does it connect to today?
Not “can it integrate with”, but “which connectors are live right now”. A 3PL's clients bring Amazon, eBay, Walmart, Etsy, Shopify and a long tail of smaller platforms. Ask for the list, ask what each connector actually syncs (orders, stock, tracking, returns) and ask what it costs to add a new one.
2. Does it calculate client billing?
Storage per bin per day, receiving per unit, pick and pack per order, packaging, labels, special projects. If the system cannot produce a client invoice from the work it already tracks, somebody will rebuild it in a spreadsheet every month, and that somebody will make mistakes.
3. How are carriers connected and who owns the accounts?
Label purchase should run on your own carrier accounts or your clients' accounts, with rates compared at pack time. Systems that force you through a reseller account can be cheaper on day one and expensive forever.
4. What is the pricing model, and what happens when I grow?
Per-order pricing feels safe when volumes are small and becomes a tax on success later. A fixed monthly fee with a written scope is easier to budget. Whatever the model, insist on a written list of what is included and what is quoted separately: new modules, new integrations, custom reports, data migration.
5. Who owns the data, and can I leave?
The data your warehouse enters is yours. The agreement should say so, and it should say how you get it out. A reasonable notice period, 30 days for example, is a sign of a vendor that expects to keep you by being good rather than by being hard to leave.
6. What does support actually mean?
Ask who answers when an order is stuck at 4 p.m. on a Friday: an engineer who knows the system, or a ticket queue? Ask how API changes from marketplaces are handled and whether version updates are included.
7. Can I see it running with my orders?
Screenshots prove nothing. Ask for a working environment with a handful of your real products, one client channel and one carrier account connected. If the vendor cannot set that up within a couple of weeks, onboarding will not be faster.
A WMS is chosen for years. Spend a few more hours on these questions now and the next three years get much quieter.
If you want to see how we answer these seven questions, read about our 3PL WMS service or get in touch.